Explore the City of Tulsa

Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a population of 400,000, is an important center of commerce and industry with a thriving arts community. Prominent industries include energy, telecommunications and data, finance, medicine, aerospace, transportation and education. The oil boom of the 1920s and ‘30s spawned an outstanding cultural legacy that continues today. Tulsa’s entertainment options include pro sports, fine and performing arts, festivals, zoos, a water park, bike and hiking trails, rivers and lakes.

Downtown Districts

Tulsa boasts one of the nation’s most extensive collections of Art Deco architecture. Our Deco District is the natural place to begin feasting your eyes on the many representations of this distinctive style. Beyond that, downtown offers several other micro-districts - each with its own sense of place and things to do.

Concerts

Tulsa has a rich local music history, literally pioneering genres from western swing in the 1930s to the "Tulsa Sound" in the 1970s (when Eric Clapton's rhythm section were all Tulsans) to pop and alternative music today. Tulsa has outstanding venues to hear live music, from the legendary Cain's Ballroom and Brady Theater to dozens of smaller joints, many of which are 18-and-over clubs. And then there's the BOK Center, which features the biggest headliners in the business. Everyone plays Tulsa.

Restaurants

From homegrown barbecue and Tex-Mex to fine French and Italian cuisine, Tulsa has restaurants to fit every taste and budget. Fresh sushi, independent coffee shops and vegan delicacies line Brookside while food trucks are a staple around Guthrie Green. And look no further than Cherry Street for a traditional Irish pub or modern twists on Southern comfort food.

Theaters

Foreign films and documentaries are always on tap at the independent Circle Cinema just a few blocks from the TU campus. But if you're looking for a full menu, heated recliners and the latest in picture and sound technology, the new Warren Theatre is just a short drive. Tulsa is filled with movie houses that offer IMAX experiences or budget shows, too.

FESTIVALS

We have a lot to celebrate, and we do it in grand style with many community-building festivals. Tulsa Oktoberfest is ranked by USA Today as one of the top 10 German celebrations in North America, with authentic German musicians, a wide selection of beer and wursts and a country fair atmosphere. A downtown tradition for more than 40 years, Tulsa International Mayfest is a four-day potpourri of arts and crafts vendors, great food and local and regional musical acts.

Museums

Tulsa showcases world-class art in renowned museums and unique urban galleries. Philbrook Museum of Art was once the home of oil baron Waite Phillips. Today this 72-room Italian villa houses a stunning collection of classic, modern, Native American and contemporary art. Meanwhile, the world’s largest collection of art and artifacts of the American West are found at Gilcrease Museum, which also features an outstanding Native American collection. The legacy of Thomas Gilcrease is owned by the City of Tulsa and managed by TU.

Shopping

From fashionable to funky, Tulsa offers a multitude of shopping experiences. Explore eclectic boutiques and pop-up shops near campus and downtown. Woodland Hills Mall is more than 1 million square feet of retail heaven with 165-plus stores, 80 of which are not found anywhere else in Tulsa. In midtown, Utica Square offers more than 60 shops featuring clothes, jewelry, home furnishings and gifts in a park-like setting.

THEATERS

Whether it’s classic, contemporary, locally produced or touring Broadway shows, you’ll find a variety of performing arts in Tulsa. For decades, Tulsa Ballet and Tulsa Opera have been regarded as among the best in the nation. Witness their magic at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, an acclaimed venue with four theaters — and not a bad seat in the house. The Nightingale Theater is one of Tulsa’s many small but active theaters, averaging more than 100 shows a year.

Sports

The Tulsa Drillers baseball team (LA Dodgers' AA farm club) draws legions of fans to our sleek new downtown stadium: ONEOK Field. A few blocks away, the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock enjoys a loyal following at their home base, the BOK Center, which is also home to the Tulsa Oilers, our Central Hockey League team. We also support the Oklahoma Defenders (indoor football) and the Tulsa Athletics and Roughnecks (soccer).

Wildlife

Located in the 2,800-acre Mohawk Park, the Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum features more than 1,500 animals representing 436 species. Animal exhibits include the Giraffe Experience, the Chimpanzee Connection, the Penguin Exhibit and the Helmerich Sea Lion Cove. Across town at the Oklahoma Aquarium, you can get up close to the largest bull shark in captivity through a walk-through tunnel and enjoy eight exhibit galleries featuring thousands of saltwater and freshwater fish and animals.